Mixed-dimensional MXene-hydrogel heterostructures for electronic skin sensors with ultrabroad working range
Yichen Cai, Jie Shen, Chih‐Wen Yang, Yi Wan, Hao‐Ling Tang, Areej Aljarb, Cailing Chen, Jui‐Han Fu, Xuan Wei, Kuo‐Wei Huang, Yu Han, Steven J. Jonas, Xiaochen Dong, Vincent Tung
Abstract
Skin-mountable microelectronics are garnering substantial interest for various promising applications including human-machine interfaces, biointegrated devices, and personalized medicine. However, it remains a critical challenge to develop e-skins to mimic the human somatosensory system in full working range. Here, we present a multifunctional e-skin system with a heterostructured configuration that couples vinyl-hybrid-silica nanoparticle (VSNP)-modified polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogel with two-dimensional (2D) MXene through nano-bridging layers of polypyrrole nanowires (PpyNWs) at the interfaces, featuring high toughness and low hysteresis, in tandem with controlled crack generation and distribution. The multidimensional configurations endow the e-skin with an extraordinary working range (2800%), ultrafast responsiveness (90 ms) and resilience (240 ms), good linearity (800%), tunable sensing mechanisms, and excellent reproducibility. In parallel, this e-skin platform is capable of detecting, quantifying, and remotely monitoring stretching motions in multiple dimensions, tactile pressure, proximity sensing, and variations in temperature and light, establishing a promising platform for next-generation smart flexible electronics.